[UA] Data limits for Universal Analytics properties [Legacy]

You are viewing a legacy article about Universal Analytics. Learn more about Google Analytics 4 replacing Universal Analytics.

This article is about daily hit limits in Universal Analytics. See the following resources for similar information related to Google Analytics 4:

• For information about data thresholds in Google Analytics 4, go to [GA4] Data thresholds.
• For information about event limits in Google Analytics 4, go to [GA4] Event collection limits.

In this article:

• Data collection limit
• Data processing latency
• Related resources

Data collection limit

Every user interaction can be sent to Analytics as an individual hit, including (but not limited to) each pageview, screenview, event, and ecommerce transaction. As a result, a single session can result in many hits. To learn more about the methods that send hits from website tracking, refer to the analytics.js Method Reference in the developer documentation. For tracking mobile apps, we recommend using Google Analytics for Firebase for free and unlimited analytics solution with unlimited reporting.

If a property sends more hits per month to Analytics than allowed by the Analytics Terms of Service, there is no assurance that the excess hits will be processed. If the property's hit volume exceeds this limit, a warning may be displayed in the user interface and you may be prevented from accessing reports.

You have the following options:

Note: Adding view filters does not reduce the number of hits you send to Google. Filters act on data that has already been collected and cannot be used to reduce your traffic levels.

• Upgrade to Google Analytics 360. Google Analytics 360 is a paid service that includes a Service Level Agreement (SLA), technical and implementation support, and support for higher hit volumes. Learn more about Google Analytics 360.
• Send fewer hits. You can do this several ways. You can, for example, set a sample rate for your data collection or remove any extra tracking calls, like Event tracking, you've added to your basic implementation. Refer to the developer documentation to learn how to set a sample rate or remove extra tracking calls from the library you're using.
• Upgrade to Google Analytics 4 properties to measure web and app data. Google Analytics 4 properties are a free analytics solution with unlimited reporting for up to 500 distinct events that you can define using gtag.js or the Firebase SDKs. Refer to the developer documentation (Android or iOS) to learn how to replace your Analytics Mobile SDKs with the Firebase SDKs.

There are additional limits for specific client libraries. Refer to the Collection Limits and Quotas in the developer documentation for more information.

Data processing latency

Processing latency is 24-48 hours. Standard accounts that send more than 200,000 sessions per day to Analytics will result in the reports being refreshed only once a day. This can delay updates to reports and metrics for up to two days. To restore intra-day processing, reduce the number of sessions your account sends to < 200,000 per day.

For Analytics 360 accounts, this limit is extended to 2 billion hits per month. Learn more about the Analytics 360 data-processing SLA.

When intraday data is available, it may not contain every event because some hits may be delayed due to implementation or network constraints.

Related resources

• analytics.js Method Reference
• Collection Limits and Quotas